By ANGELA ATABO

A civil servant, Mr. Martins Atijegbe, has alleged ‘perpetual victimization” for exposing a cabal of employment racketeering and illegal enrolments into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) in his ministry.

Atijegbe, a level nine officer in the Federal Ministry of Works, told newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja that he was a victim of lack of protection for whistle blowers in workplace.

He alleged that for exposing the cabal, he has not received any salary since August 2024 and has also been denied promotion by the ministry.

“I am still in the employment of the ministry because I was not dismissed, but I have been denied salaries for 15 months.

“When I went to demand for my pay slip to know why my salaries have not been paid, I was told to get the permission of the Human Resource Director before I can have access to the pay slips.

“I have also been denied promotion since this issue began,” he said.

His lawyer, Dr. Abdul Mahmud, alleged that Atijegbe “is a victim of carefully-orchestrated campaign of fraud, abuse of power, criminal conspiracy and defamation.’

Mahmud told newsmen that Atijegbe’s offense was having the courage to expose a cabal of employment racketeering in the ministry.

He explained that his client, with file number WAB 88279, exposed the alleged fraud, including officers with fake appointment letters being documented and enrolled into IPPIS.

“He raised the alarm and his petition dated July 27, 2020 was sent to the then Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

“Copies of the petition were also sent to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, the Civil Service Commission and anti-graft commission, ICPC”

“In response to the petition, an eight-man investigative committee was established, but the process was flawed by involving some people mentioned in the alleged corrupt practices in the committee.

“There was also the violation of fair hearing as Atijegbe was denied access to the committee’s report and the evidence used against him in spite of repeated request,’ the lawyer said.

Mahmud said that there were unsubstantiated allegations against his client as he was accused of extortion and sexual harassment without presenting any witness.

He added that there was suppression of evidence as key cases of fraudulent documentation was tactically omitted from the final report and the findings were also falsely manipulated.

Mahmud said his client has been experiencing perpetual threats to life and safety, and persecuted officially by being posted to field office in Gwagwalada.

“This case is a microcosm of a larger decay within the civil service”.

“When individuals with vested interest are appointed into investigative committees, justice is dead on arrival”.

“When government ministries become racketeering syndicates, public trust is destroyed and when whistleblowers are persecuted, corruption wins.

“This is not just about Martins Atijegbe. It is about the soul of our civil service,” he said.

Mahmud, on behalf of his client, demanded the resignation of the civil servants involved in the case.

He also demanded the investigation of the eight-man committee and the officers involved in the alleged racketeering.

The lawyer also demanded the nullification of the “biased and unconstitutional investigative committee report” as well as an independent investigation into the alleged employment racketeering.

The lawyer added that his client should be given complete protection under the Nigeria’s whistleblower framework, including reinstatement to his substantive post and guarantees for his safety.

Mahmud called on the National Assembly Committee on Public Petitions and Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to exercise their constitutional powers under section 88 of the 1999 constitution to investigate the matter and expose the corruption.

“This is a test for Nigeria. Will we reward courage or punish it? Will our institutions protect truth-tellers or destroy them?

“The Constitution is clear. Justice demands action. Our client deserves protection, not persecution; vindication not victimization,” he said

Attempts to get reactions of the ministry to the allegations were unsuccessful as calls placed to the Directors of Human Resources and Information respectively were neither answered nor returned

Text messages were also sent to the two directors which they did not respond to, as at press time. (NAN)

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